BlogCatalog

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Obama's campaign manager, David Ploufee, unveiled to reporters in Washington, DC yesterday the Obama campaign's unique and aggressive 50 state strategy. The key factors that can make Obama's strategy a reality include - massive voter identification, registration and turnout efforts, fueled by grassroots support in every state.

"Barack Obama will focus his resources largely in 14 states George W. Bush won in 2004, his chief field operative said Tuesday, hoping to score upsets in places such as Virginia, Indiana and Georgia.

For far too long, both Democrats and Republicans have made little attempt to change the electorate map as we know it. Our "seasoned" politicians have become much too complacent.

Obama is changing the game, and terrorizing Republicans at the same time. In addition to key battleground states for dems, Obama plans to target Republican strongholds in an attempt to turn several RED states BLUE. He is not taking any states for granted.He is targeting states that Democrats before him never considered. He is targeting Georgia (my birth state!) and other southern states that have gone Republican in every presidential election since my birth!

There is also a little known secret in these southern states...UNREGISTERED African American voters. Georgia alone has nearly 600,000 unregistered African American voters. Even a modest increase in turnout amongst this demographic may be enough to help Obama take Georgia, the longheld Republic stronghold.

But winning the White House won’t be his only goal, deputy campaign manager Steve Hildebrand told Politico: In an unusual move, Obama’s campaign will also devote some resources to states it’s unlikely to win, with the goal of influencing specific local contests in places such as Texas and Wyoming... Texas is a great example where we might not be able to win the state, but we want to pay a lot of attention to it,” Hildebrand said. “It’s one of the most important redistricting opportunities in the country.”

Can Obama pull this off? Absolutely! He has the momentum he needs!

The recent LA Times poll revealed...

"Even among voters who said they planned to vote for McCain, more than half said they were 'not enthusiastic' about their chosen candidate; 45% said they were enthusiastic. By contrast, 81% of Obama voters said they were enthusiastic, and almost half called themselves 'very enthusiastic,' a level of zeal found in 13% of McCain's supporters."

LA Times released a new poll this morning that shows Obama with a double-digit 12% lead over John McCain. This is days after the Newsweek Poll revealed a 15% lead for Obama.

"McCain suffers from a pronounced "passion gap," especially among conservatives who usually give Republican candidates a reliable base of support. Among voters who described themselves as conservative, 58% said they would vote for McCain; 15% said they would vote for Obama, 14% said they would vote for someone else, and 13% said they were undecided. By contrast, 79% of voters who described themselves as liberal said they planned to vote for Obama...

Even among voters who said they planned to vote for McCain, more than half said they were "not enthusiastic" about their chosen candidate; 45% said they were enthusiastic. By contrast, 81% of Obama voters said they were enthusiastic, and almost half called themselves "very enthusiastic," a level of zeal found in 13% of McCain's supporters...

Among white voters, Obama and McCain are each at 39%, the poll found. Earlier this year, when Obama ran behind Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) among whites in some primary elections, analysts questioned whether the African American senator could win white voters in the general election.

But the great majority of Clinton voters have transferred their allegiance to Obama, the poll found, with 11% of Clinton voters defecting to McCain..."

"I have pretty eclectic tastes," the Democratic presidential contender said in an interview to be published in Friday's issue of Rolling Stone.

Growing up in the '70s, Obama said, he listened to the Rolling Stones, Elton John and Earth, Wind & Fire. Stevie Wonder is his musical hero from the era. The Stones' "Gimme Shelter" tops his favorites from the band.

The Illinois senator's playlist contains these musicians, along with about 30 songs from Dylan and the singer's "Blood on the Tracks" album. Jazz legends Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Charlie Parker are also in the mix.

"Actually, one of my favorites during the political season is 'Maggie's Farm,'" Obama said of one of Dylan's tracks. "It speaks to me as I listen to some of the political rhetoric."

In the song, Dylan sings about trying be himself, "but everybody wants you to be just like them."

Several musicians on Obama's iPod support his bid for the White House, including Bruce Springsteen. Earlier this month, Dylan told a British newspaper that he believes Obama is redefining politics in the United States and could deliver change to a nation in upheaval.